Trainer Spotlight: Professor Oak

“Now tell me. Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?”

Hello there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon!

Professor Oak's familiar lab coat immediately brings to mind
memories of a Pokémon journey's beginning. For new players, the Pokémon Professor
was their first guide to the world of dreams and adventures with Pokémon—so who
better to spotlight as Trainers dream of adventure in Kanto once again?

The ambitious Professor Oak has
built a legacy through his research and mentorship. Kanto's most famous
resident is acclaimed not only for his own work, but also for the legions of
Trainers he's inspired to “catch 'em all” and help him complete the Pokédex!

As we celebrate this iconic researcher who's made an impact across
the world of Pokémon, reminisce with some of his memorable appearances below.

In the Video Games

“To make a complete
guide on all the Pokémon in the world… That was my dream!”

The Elite Four's Agatha tells us that Professor Oak was once
a powerful Pokémon Trainer, but the player never sees this side of him during
their adventures. Little about Professor Oak's motivations or interests is
revealed through his many appearances, except for one unwavering goal: cataloging
every known Pokémon. It's not clear if Oak focuses his attention exclusively on
this endeavor or if the famous researcher simply prefers to keep the rest of
his life private. Perhaps Oak's personality is best revealed through the people
he's influenced—the professor is admired and beloved by his scholarly peers, by
Trainers, and even by luminaries such as Kurt and Mr. Pokémon.

Aspiring Trainers encounter
Professor Oak almost as soon as they begin their journeys in Pokémon Red,Pokémon Blue, andPokémon Yellow:
Special Pikachu Edition. The pragmatic professor gives his grandson and the
player their first Pokémon so they can set off on their adventures. He also
entrusts each Trainer with his iconic invention—the Pokédex, a digital Pokémon
encyclopedia in need of completion—and asks the new Trainers to help with his
mission of compiling a guide to all the world's Pokémon.

Completing the Pokédex is a hefty task to foist on fledgling
Trainers, considering the number of experienced Trainers littering the
landscape, but the professor seems to have an eye for talent. He provides
support through his aides and by passing on useful items, such as HM05 and the
Itemfinder, as soon as new Trainers have recorded enough Pokémon. He may best
be remembered for his role as the player's conscience, always coming to mind
when the player attempts to use the Bicycle at inappropriate times.

Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver introduce us to another facet
of Professor Oak: radio star. The professor doesn't drop any sick beats,
however. Instead, he appears alongside DJ Mary on Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk, a program designed to help Trainers
find rare Pokémon. Oak seems to commute from Kanto to tape his show, which
explains how he avoids becoming a hostage when Team Rocket ransacks the Goldenrod
Radio Tower in their quest to contact their departed leader, Giovanni.

In the Pokémon TCG

Professor Oak is something of a trailblazer as the first of
the iconic Pokémon professors introduced to players, and perhaps that's most
evident in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

The famous professor's first card was Professor Oak in the
Pokémon TCG's initial Base Set. Professor
Oak enabled players to get through their decks quickly by discarding their hand
and drawing 7 new cards, and they could even play multiple copies of Professor
Oak in one turn (Supporter cards, with their one-per-turn restriction, didn't
yet exist). Other Pokémon professors' cards have followed a similar mold, with
newer cards like Professor Juniper and Professor Sycamore
sporting identical effects. Keen-eyed collectors enjoyed a trip down memory
lane when the illustration from the original Professor Oak card returned on Professor Oak's Hint in XY—Evolutions,
released in 2016.

Professor Oak's cameos in the Pokémon TCG have been less
frequent than in the Pokémon video games. A hiatus from the Pokémon TCG ended
with Professor Oak's Research in Expedition
Base Set. He returned again with the release of Diamond & Pearl—Secret Wonders, appearing on Professor Oak's Visit, where the Starly flying nearby indicate that he may have been
researching the Sinnoh region.

Oak's biggest competitive impact since Base Set came from the potent Professor Oak's New Theory in HeartGold & SoulSilver. His
Theory proved more effective than his Research, allowing the player to shuffle
their hand into their deck and draw 6 cards instead of 5. Professor Oak's New
Theory was such a strong tournament card that it was included in the winning
decks at both the 2011 and 2012 Pokémon World Championships.

The Pokémon TCG even featured a swindler that seemed to be
out to sully the professor's good name—and we don't mean his almost-identical
cousin, Samson Oak of the Alola region! Impostor Professor Oak appeared
alongside Professor Oak in Base Set,
where his dastardly effect…mostly just helped the opponent, “forcing” them to
shuffle their hand into their deck and draw a whopping 7 cards. The imitator made
more effective appearances in two later expansions: in Team Rocket as Imposter Oak's Revenge and in Neo Destiny as Impostor Professor Oak's Invention.

Professor Oak has been on sabbatical from the Pokémon TCG recently,
but perhaps someday he'll take Pokémon TCG players to school once again.

In Pokémon the Series

“Every day it's cake and tea, just my Pokémon and me.”

The forgetful Professor Samuel Oak of Pokémon the Series is a little quirky compared with his more
goal-oriented counterpart in the Pokémon video games. Here, the venerable
professor plays a smaller role cataloging the world's Pokémon and provides Ash with
a relatively complete Pokédex to start his journey. Oak remains a famous enough
researcher to make television appearances (“Pokémon—I
Choose You!”) and lecture younger Trainers (“Gonna
Rule the School!”). He also shows more
diverse interests, composing short poems about Pokémon and traveling to watch
Ash and his grandson Gary compete in Pokémon League competitions.

Oak's elaborate laboratory is the crown jewel of Pallet
Town. He graciously allows Ash to leave his Pokémon at the lab's large ranch that
houses Pokémon for study when they aren't traveling with their Trainers. Even
Ash's past companion Tracey has made Professor Oak's lab his new home, serving
as Oak's assistant since the end of Ash's adventures in the Orange Islands (“A
Rivalry Revival”). Oak is also joined by a Rotom he caught in the Unova
region (“To
Catch a Rotom!”). The professor continues to be a family friend of the
Ketchums in Pokémon the Series,
providing advice and support to Ash despite his busy life.

In the Movies

Unlike in the video games, Professor Oak sometimes shows off
his battling skills on the big screen! Thanks to some time-traveling
shenanigans involving the Mythical Pokémon Celebi, another version of Oak puts
forth an impressive performance as a young Trainer in the movie Pokémon 4Ever. The youthful Oak
(known as Sam) and his Charmeleon prove adept in battle despite unfamiliar
surroundings and technology, and the curiosity and love of Pokémon that would
eventually lead Oak toward Pokémon research is on full display. The professor
also sends out an awe-inspiring Dragonite in the special “The Mastermind of
Mirage Pokémon,” but it's quickly defeated in something of an unfair fight.

What's Next?

Nothing signals the start of a new adventure like the timely
appearance of Professor Oak. Get prepared for your next journey in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! Just don't be
like Ash and oversleep when it's time to receive your first Pokémon.

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